§3-3-5b. Procedures for voting a special write-in absentee ballot
by qualified persons.
(a) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this chapter, a
person qualified to vote an absentee ballot in accordance with
subdivision (3), subsection (d), section one of this article may
apply not earlier than the first day of January of an election year
for a special write-in absentee ballot for a primary or general
election, in conjunction with the application for a regular
absentee ballot or ballots. If the application is received after
the forty-ninth day preceding the election, the official designated
to supervise and conduct absentee voting shall honor only the
application for local, state and federal offices in general,
special and primary elections.

(b) The application for a special write-in absentee ballot may
be made on the federal postcard application form.

(c) In order to qualify for a special write-in absentee
ballot, the voter must state that he or she is unable to vote by
regular absentee ballot or in person due to requirements of
military service or due to living in isolated areas or extremely
remote areas of the world. This statement may be made on the
federal postcard application or on a form prepared by the secretary
of state and supplied and returned with the special write-in
absentee ballot.

(d) Upon receipt of the application within the time required,
the official designated to supervise and conduct absentee voting shall issue the special write-in absentee ballot which is to be the
same ballot issued under the provisions of 42 U.S.C. §1973, et
seq., the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act of
1986. The ballot is to permit the elector to vote in a primary
election by indicating his or her political party affiliation and
the names of the specific candidates for each office, and in a
general election by writing in a party preference for each office,
the names of specific candidates for each office, or the name of
the person whom the voter prefers for each office.

(e) When a special federal write-in ballot is received by the
official designated to supervise and conduct absentee voting from
a voter: (1) Who mailed the write-in ballot from any location
within the United States; (2) who did not apply for a regular
absentee ballot; (3) who did not apply for a regular absentee
ballot by mail; or (4) whose application for a regular absentee
ballot by mail was received less than thirty days before the
election, the write-in ballot may not be counted.

(f) Any write-in absentee ballot must be received by the
official designated to supervise and conduct absentee voting prior
to the close of the polls on election day or it may not be counted.